Crimping tool



April 16, 1968 w, BQWLEY ET AL 3,377,836

' CRIMPING TOOL Filed June-l7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 aymww April 16, 1968 T, WBOWLEY ETAL 3,377,836

CRIMPING TOOL Filed June 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Devan-r02 United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A crimping tool having an actuating member and a crimping member disposed within an axial opening in a body. The crimping member is moved into crimping action by movement of the actuating member axially of the opening.

This invention relates to a crimping tool for securing lead wires to metal contacts.

The usual method of securing lead wires to the tailpieces of metal contacts is by soldering or by a wire wrapping method.

Another proposed method of attaching the lead wires is to fit a small sleeve over the contact and assembled lead wire and crimp the sleeve to secure the wire to the contact. There has, however, been a problem to design a crimping tool capable of operating in the very confined spaces between closely spaced contacts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a crimping tool which can be operated in such confined spaces so as to crimp the lead wires to the contacts.

According to the present invention, the crimping tool comprises a body provided with a narrow nose having an axial opening at its forward end for receiving a contact tailpiece, and lead wire assembled therewith, a crimping member extending longitudinally of the body and nose in juxtaposed position to an actuating member which is axially slidably mounted in the body and nose relative to the crimping member, the arrangement being such that by imparting sliding movement to the actuating member, the crimping member will be displaced into the said opening in the body to effect a crimping action to a sleeve assembled round the contact and lead wire to secure the lead wire to the contact.

The crimping member is preferably mounted to permit a limited degree of pivotal movement and is provided at its free end with a projection which, when the crimping member is pivoted by sliding movement imparted to the actuating member, will co-operate with a fixed anvil in the opening in the nose to effect the crimping operation.

The actuating member may be formed with a ramp-like surface at its free end adapted to co-operate with a complementary ramp-like surface on the free end of the crimping member, the ramp surfaces cooperating to effect the pivotal movement of the crimping member when sliding movement is imparted to the actuating member.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a crimping head of a crimping tool according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view;

FIGURE 4 is an end view;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a typical contact tailpiece having a sleeve and lead wire assembled therewith before a crimping operation has been effected; and

3,377,836 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 FIGURE 6illustrates the parts shown in FIGURE 5 after the crimping operation has been completed.

As shown in FIGURES 1 to 4 of the said drawings, there is illustrated a crimping tool head which is adapted to be attached to a handle provided with a suitably manually or power operable device for actuating the crimping mechanism located in the head.

As shown, the head comprises a body 1 formed with a narrow nose 2 at its forward end. A passage 3 extends longitudinally through the body 1 and nose 2, and an actuating member 4 is slidably mounted in the passage. The member 4 is provided with a head 4a at its rear end to which a collet or the like in the handle of the tool (not shown) is adapted to be connected. The outer or free end of the member 4 is formed with an inwardly inclined ramp surface 5, and a spring 6 is positioned in a recess at the inner end of the body 1, one end of the spring abutting a collar 7 mounted on the member 4 so that the latter is normally urged inwardly of the body by the spring into the at rest position indicated in FIGURE 2.

A crimping member 8 of blade-like formextends longitudinally of the passage 3 in substantial parallel relation to the actuating member 4. The inner end of the crimping member is located by a circular peg 9 screwed or pressed into the body 1 and engaging in a hole in the crimping member 8 and arranged to permit the crimping member to pivot to a limited degree in a direction transversely of the passage. The outer or free end of the crimp ing member is formed with a projection 10 on its underface having a ramp surface 11 complementary to the ramp surface 5 on the actuating member 4. The upper face of the free end of the crimping member is formed with a projection 12, the upper or free end of which extends into an axial opening 13 in the narrow nose 2. As shown, the upper or free end of the projection 12 is positioned in spaced relation to a V-shaped notch 15 which constitutes a fixed anvil formed in the opening 13. The inner end 15a of the V-shaped notch forms a stop for correctly positioning a sleeve b prior to it being crimped.

The crimping member is normally urged into the position indicated in FIGURE 2 by a spring 16 whose lower end bears on the crimping member. The nose 2 of the crimping head is also formed with a lateral slot 18 which communicates with the opening 13.

A typical contact with which the crimping tool is to be used is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, and as shown, it includes a two-ply tailpiece a of V-like shape in crosssection. It will be understood that the contact will normally be secured to a support such as an edge connector which will include a plurality of such contacts arranged in closely spaced relation, and the contacts may be arranged in two or more rows also closely spaced. Prior to the actual crimping, a sleeve such as b, preferably formed of metal and which may be of cylindrical shape, is fitted over the end of the tailpiece a so as to form a fairly close fit. The bared end of a lead wire 0 is threaded into the sleeve so as to lie axially of the V.

To effect a crimping operation, the nose of the tool head is presented to the free end of the tailpiece so that the latter and the assembled sleeve and the enclosed lead wire enter the opening 13 with the base of the V of the tailpiece facing the notch 15. The lead wire emerging from the free end of the tailpiece is accommodated in the slot 18, and accordingly does not interfere with the operation of the tool.

The handle ((not shown) which will normally be connected to the tool head will include operating mechanism of known kind such as a pivot lever which is manually squeezed to actuate the mechanism to impart a forward sliding movement to the actuating member 4. As the latter moves forwardly, the ramp surface 5 will engage the ramp surface 11 on the crimping member, and as a result the latter Will be pivoted to cause the projection 12 to move towards the notch 15. it will be understood that part of the contact over which the sleeve is positioned will be located in the opening 13 so as to lie between the notch 15 and the upper end of the projection 12. Accordingly, when the actuating member 42 slides forwardly, the sleeve will be crimped by the action of the projection 12 and notch 15, and a portion of the sleeve will be pressed into the angle of the V of the tailpiece to clamp the lead wire in the base of the V as indicated in FIGURE 6.

When the operating lever in the handle is released, the crimping member will be returned to the position indicated in FIGURE 2 by the spring 16, and the actuating member will be withdrawn by the spring 6, and the tool can then be removed bodily from the crimped joint and its associated lead wire, and is then ready for the next crimping operation.

The mechanism in the handle for operating the actuating member 4 may take any desired form and may include means whereby the operating lever cannot be released until the full crimping operation has been effected. The purpose of such means is to prevent an operator not squeezing the trigger to its full extent which would result in an imperfect crimp. By providing such means once a squeezing action has been initiated, it must be carried through to its maximum extent as otherwise the tool cannot be withdrawn from the parts which are being crimped.

The spring 6 may be omitted if the mechanism in the handle is designed to effect the positive withdrawal of the actuating member at the end of the crimping operation.

It will be understood that the width of the nose 2 will depend on the spacing between adjacent contacts with which the tool is to be used. As, however, there are no parts extending laterally of the outer surface of the nose, this need only be sufficiently narrow to fit over a contact to be crimped without interfering with adjacent closely spaced contacts.

It will be understood that the crimping tool may be used to secure lead wires to contacts of other than V- shape. For example, the contacts could be provided with a series of V or U-shaped grooves or channels. The best results are obtained if the contact has a channel or groove of such dimensions so that when the sleeve is crimped, it will serve to jam the lead Wire into the base of the channel or groove.

The provision of the lateral slot 18 is essential when the lead wire is presented to the tailpiece, to which it is to be connected, from the direction of the free end of the tailpiece as in this case the main part of the lead wire will project outwardly of the free end of the tailpiece and would interfere with the positioning of the crimping tool over the tailpiece if the slot 1% were not provided.

If desired, however, the lead wire can be presented to the tailpiece from the opposite direction, that is to say from the end of the tailpiece extending from the component in which it is mounted. As in this case the main part of the lead wire will not project outwardly of the free end of the tailpiece, the slot 18 would not be necessary.

We claim:

1. A crimping tool comprising a body having an axial opening extending therethrough, said body having a set of openings adjacent its forward end for receiving a contact terminal, a lead wire and a sleeve surrounding said lead wire and terminal, said set of openings intersecting said axial opening, an anvil means adjacent one opening of said set, an actuating member mounted in said axial opening of said body for axial sliding movement relative to said body, a crimping member disposed in said axial opening in parallel, adjacent relation to said actuating member, said crimping member having a crimping element disposed opposite said anvil, and said actuating member and said crimping member have means for moving said crimping member toward said set of openings when force is applied to said actuating member to move it axially of said body.

2. A crimping tool according to claim 1 in which said actuating member has a cam element engageable with a cam element carried by said crimping member thereby moving said crimping member toward said set of openings when force is applied to said actuating member to move it axially of said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1946 Forss 72-410 8/1953 Chilton 72-410 

